1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developing device, an image forming apparatus using the same, and a method for peeling off a sealing member of the developing device, specifically to a developing device integrally configured by unitizing components such as a developer reservoir having developer stored therein and a developing roller, which is configured so as not to cause leakage of developer and contamination in the device during shipment thereof, an image forming apparatus using the same, and a method for peeling off a sealing member of the developing device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, an image forming apparatus such as a copier and a facsimile device using developer has employed a developing device for visualizing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor drum, which is configured by integrally unitizing components such as a developer reservoir having developer stored therein and a developing roller.
Conventionally, a developing device having developer stored therein has used a sealing member, a sealing cover or the like to seal a communication port in communication with the interior of a developer reservoir so as not to cause leakage of developer stored in the developer reservoir during attaching operation to the device, shipment, and movement, or so as to shut out moisture from entering in developer.
As a method for sealing the communication port of the developer reservoir, it is general to attach a sealing member such as a heat seal on a part of the developer reservoir to seal the communication port, because the operation of which is relatively easily performed at a low cost.
However, the sealing member is pulled outside when removing the sealing member from the developer reservoir, thus posing a problem that a surface to which developer (toner) is adhered is taken out to the outside so that the developer adhering to the sealing member contaminates a hand or clothes of a worker.
Hence, various methods for removing a sealing member without causing contamination by toner have been conventionally considered.
For example, a toner cartridge having toner stored therein and used for a developing device such as a copier is proposed, wherein an opening for supplying toner to the developing device is sealed by a sealing member and one end of the sealing member is wound by seal wind-up means (cf., Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Hei 8 No. 334692).
Furthermore, as another system a cartridge-type developing device is proposed, wherein an opening of a toner container for supplying toner to the developing device is sealed by a sealing member and plural driving systems of the developing device are disposed divisionally on longitudinal both ends of the developing roller to obtain, from each of the divisionally disposed driving systems, driving for an automatic wind-up mechanism for winding up the sealing member (cf., Patent Literature 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-281996).
However, in the conventional technology, the configuration in the Patent Literature 1 needs a handle for winding up the sealing member and a driving system for driving the same in addition, thus posing a problem of increasing the number of components in the device and the cost as well as making the configuration of the cartridge itself large-sized.
Furthermore, in the configuration of the Patent Literature 2, by divisionally disposing the driving systems of the developing device, only the side where the driving systems are provided does not protrude to the outside, thus making it possible to provide the configuration without increasing a size of an exterior cover, but the automatic winding-up mechanism for winding up the sealing member needs a space to be installed, thus posing a problem that the corresponding part protrudes to the outside to enlarge the developing device.
In this way, a conventional method for removing a sealing member enables to prevent contamination by toner wherein toner adhering to the sealing member contaminates a hand or clothes of a worker. However, this makes the configuration of the developing device complicated and large-sized, and the cost tends to be increased.